Little River Fort
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Little River Fort (1836-184?) - Established Nov 1836 by Sgt. George B. Erath and 20 Texas Rangers as Fort Smith (1) named after Maj. William H. Smith but commonly called Little River Fort. Name changed in 1841 to Fort Griffin (1) after Moses Griffin who maintained the fort after the government abandoned it in Jun 1837. Reoccupied from Jan 1840 to Mar 1841 when the Army of the Republic of Texas was disbanded. Sporadic use after that.
Little River Fort History
The fort consisted of 6 or 7 cabins arraigned along a stockade of post-oak pickets 8-9 feet high. One of the cabins was built like a blockhouse and was tall enough that it allowed firing over the stockade. The whole of the fort occupied about 1/2 acre. There were only two recorded skirmishes between the rangers and hostile Indians.
Current Status
Site marked by the Texas Historical Commission as Fort Griffin (1).
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Location: From Belton, Texas, 6 miles east on state road 436 to Hartrick Bluff Road, just passed the Leon River. Maps & Images Lat: 30.992900 Long: -97.3895
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Sources:
- Frazer, Robert W., Forts of the West, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1965, ISBN 0-8061-1250-6, page 154
- Pierce, Gerald S., Texas Under Arms:The Camps, Posts, Forts & Military Towns of the Republic of Texas 1836-1846, Encino Press, Austin TX, 1969, ISBN/ASIN: B0006CYB9I, page 94
- The Handbook of Texas OnLine
Links:
Visited: 8 Oct 2007
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